POST CHAPTER 392: death of hypnosis
by Lennox Case
Summary: A look at what happens to the Captain of Tenth Squad and the Lieutenant of Fifth Squad after one of the most dramatic chapters in Bleach.


"Lieutenant Matsumoto!"

The strawberry-blonde soul reaper lieutenant jerked her head to the sound of one of her Tenth Squad subordinates. Not even bothering to ask who or what was the matter, she slid open the paper doors with a speed like Captain Ichimaru's Bankai…but that was another story.

"Third-seat, Kokichiro Takezoe, reporting—"

"Did something happen to the Captain?"

Takezoe stared at the lieutenant's face, worry filling her eyes. "No ma'am. I have no information of the Captain at the moment, but I have come to deliver the paperwork regarding the assembly of the Thirteen Court-Guard squads for entry of the King's Realm."

Matsumoto's expression changed to one of relief and a sense of ironic disappointment. She turned away with a bitter smile and walked back inside the office. "Already?"

"You can just leave it there. I'll deal with it later," she said, lazily waving her hand in the direction of her Captain's desk.

Takezoe stared again. With the unsettling silence filling the room, Matsumoto turned abruptly to see what could be keeping the third-seat.

"Well?"

"Ah, it's nothing, Lieutenant." Takezoe was sweating at the brow with a smile of surrender on his face. "It's just that usually, the paperwork is given to the Captain."

Matsumoto could not help but note his meaning. True, she had a few sake bottles well-hidden around the office like the Kido Corp of the Second Squad, but she was second-in-command of her division and there were times when she needed to completely focus on her duty.

"Err, Lieutenant Matsumoto, permission to speak freely?" She nodded. "Where is Captain Hitsugaya?"

Now, it was Matsumoto's turn to stare. Of course, it was not information her Captain would like to make known so how could she blame her squad for wanting to know the whereabouts of their leader? She turned away, eyes darkening, wishing she could give even the slightest answer.

_Frozen like a statue…_

Bleach: death of hypnosis

Beep…Beep…Beep

Her eyes looked so sunken. Her body looked so frail. And everything about this damn room was exactly the same. From the starkness of the room, to the pale, gloomy light engulfing the tall windows that blurred vision. From the clean, bland stench to the empty, surreal feeling of being in a place like this. The only thing that changed was the sound of the monitor, but even that droned on and became like another piece in this barren image.

She was placed in the center of the room, facing the high ceiling with her eyes closed and without expression, dressed in a white robe that fit with the monotony of the place so well.

Damn, it was exactly the same.

The only difference was the white-haired captain of the Tenth Squad who sat near the side of her bed. In fact, he looked nothing like a captain of any sort. With his hair disheveled, and dark, green eyes weary and tired, but not from lack of sleep, he was barely a fragment of his former self. Above all, instead of his traditional uniform with his captain's insignia, he was wearing plain white, just like her.

Although Hitsugaya had been struck down along with the other captains in the false Karakura Town, he had healed quite rapidly as expected; however, that was only the physical aspect. Had his mental injuries been taken into account, he would probably be a long-term resident in the Fourth Squad barracks. That and the unconscious Fifth Squad lieutenant were the only things keeping him in this silent inferno.

Hitsugaya did not move his gaze upon her face let alone any part of his body. He did not know what to think. What could he do now? He finally shifted his eyes to her right hand.

He would not _dare_ touch her.

He had been too afraid to be within such close proximity of her bedside, let alone hold her hand in support. How ironic was it for the Tenth Squad captain who had bravely fought and strategized his battle with the Tercera Espada to fear an ally and closest friend. But if he could not touch her, what could he do? Speak to her? _A few words…_

Bleach: death of hypnosis

"A few words?" spoke Captain Unohana, leader of the Fourth Squad and the healers of the Thirteen Court-Guard Squad. "She needs the words of someone who still needs her."

Captain Hitsugaya, who had just turned to leave the room and the then, comatose Fifth Squad lieutenant, stopped in his tracks and contemplated on Unohana's advice. How could that help her? He had failed to protect her and she was left in this state due to his own ignorance. Hitsugaya felt as if his chest had cracked and would collapse from the inside. _This hollow feeling…_

Nevertheless, Hitsugaya remained collected and replied, "As of now, I don't have any words for her." He left; his Tenth Squad insignia was the last of him seen as he walked out the door.

Bleach: death of hypnosis

Hitsugaya thought of Unohana's previous advice, however, his reasons for keeping silent had not changed. In fact, they were worse.

He was the reason why she was like this.

Hitsugaya remained frozen. Only his eyes staring straight ahead conveyed a myriad of emotions from shame, anger, hopelessness, to despair. This was true agony. He was so lost in his own thoughts, but he snapped back to reality and looked back at the invalid only to see a pair of dark, brown eyes staring straight back into his.

"H—Hinamori?"

Bleach: death of hypnosis

"H—Hinamori?"

Hitsugaya could not believe his eyes.

He thought he had stabbed Aizen. He thought he finally ended his nightmare only to find that he had just started a new one. It was Hinamori who was impaled on his blade. His strongest attack full of his own hatred was taken by the person he most wanted to protect.

_How could this be?_

_She was safe on the ground protected by Kira and Iba. How did she manage to—?_

"Shiro-chan…" He looked down in his arms. Her feeble voice and the breaking of glaciers were the only sounds that filled his ears. Blood was streaming from her mouth and even faster out of her chest. Blood was dripping from the edge of his sword and was splattered between them. Blood—

"Why?"

Hitsugaya broke.

He let out a howl of rage and pain, his face stained with agony and her blood. His memory after that was a blur. _Aizen…kill…slash…blood…fall…_

It was all over.

Bleach: death of hypnosis

All the emotions in Hitsugaya's eyes froze and the only one he was capable on conveying was shock. After a long pause, Hinamori took her gaze away from Hitsugaya's and let her eyes wander around the empty room.

"Where—"

"You're with the Fourth Squad," Hitsugaya interjected, snapping out of his stupor. "Captain Unohana said that you're still recovering and that you will still need to remain here for another two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Hinamori exclaimed wide-eyed. "B—but there's so much work to do for my division! What am I supposed to tell Fifth Squad when—"

"That doesn't matter," Hitsugaya retorted bluntly. "You need to focus on getting better. And after you do get out of here, you're still going to be out-of-commission until you get all your strength back." Hitsugaya then drooped his eyelids and gave a side-long glance at Hinamori. "Anyways, didn't I tell you before, you have to sleep more if you want to stop looking like such a little kid."

"Like you're one to talk, Hitsugaya-kun! If sleeping really does help, then why is that you—" Hinamori suddenly stopped and tried to catch her breath, leaning back on her pillows and shutting her eyes tightly.

Worry flashed in Hitsugaya's eyes. He looked away and mentally scolded himself. Even pointless bickering was enough to tire her out. Hinamori steadied her breathing, but her eyes remained closed with her brows furrowed.

It looked as if she were having a nightmare. He knew he was.

"Hinamori…" Hitsugaya started. He has had words he had wanted to say to her for a long time. "I know that you can't forgive me, and I know that I haven't been able to do anything right for you. I failed to protect you for the second time and had I not been blinded by rage maybe this wouldn't have—I mean—" Hitsugaya sighed staring down at the ground. "Maybe I was…afraid."

"Stop."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened at her command. He looked up at her, her eyes telling him that she had words for him, too. "This is my fault, Hitsugaya-kun. If I had only believed you sooner or even from the start, none of this would have happened. But I was too blind and refused to see what I feared seeing the most." An image of Aizen emerging from the fire prison in the false Karakura Town flashed in her mind. "And then, I saw your face so full of anger and sadness…I…" She remembered Hitsugaya's tormented face and piercing scream from when he held her. "That broke my heart," she choked. "I realized that I've been putting you through all that pain, that betrayal, making you keep these feelings locked up for all this time. I…I don't ever want to see your face like that again." By now, Hinamori had been holding back tears, and she put her hand over her eyes as if to hide the shame that plagued her.

The initial surprise on Hitsugaya's face slowly changed to sadness as Hinamori continued. In all honesty the lieutenant's confession was a relief when compared to the other possible things she could have said under her state and circumstance. However, seeing that pain and guilt eat away at her as she spoke made Hitsugaya feel like every word was tearing him apart as well. Nevertheless, what she said was true. Everyday since the day that the Soul Society was relieved of Aizen's presence, he had endured betrayal, sorrow, guilt, and regret. But Hinamori was struck with all of these emotions at once in one of the darkest moments in her life. Regardless, they both suffered from the same curse now; yet, Hinamori thought it just to place all the blame on herself. How could he expect no less of her?

"Momo…you never change."

Hinamori held her breath for a moment. She could not remember the last time she heard him speak that name. The sound of it was smooth and coaxing as if nostalgia was bringing her back to the past when it was just the two of them. She uncovered her eyes to look at Hitsugaya, who had his head bowed down looking at his hands in his lap.

"Do you know why I decided to become a Soul Reaper?" Hinamori stared back not understanding his meaning, but Hitsugaya continued. "Or why I fought my way up to become Captain? Why I desired such power?" Hitsugaya closed his fist, his eyes relaxing and with a secret smile that curved the corner of his mouth. He looked up suddenly and stared intently at Hinamori, whose eyes widened at his next words.

"It was for you."

"You're the reason why I'm here, why I am what I am. Everything I did was so that I could protect you because _you_ are my most important goal. So you could never be a burden to me, and don't you even think twice about carrying all the blame on your own. We will both fight through this…together." The adrenaline rush got hold of Hitsugaya who left trying to catch his breath. After all, he just poured out some of his deepest secrets of his entire life in a matter of seconds without knowing Hinamori's reaction. Speaking of which, Hitsugaya looked back at the lieutenant who stared back at him with tears already filling her eyes. She looked back up at the ceiling trying to blink back the tears and covered her eyes once again with her hand.

_Crap…_

Hitsugaya did not exactly know if he had just made the whole situation worse or not, but he decided that the least he could do was give the girl some privacy. "Uh, I-I'll just be outside…" He turned to leave but not before a hand grabbed his which made him turn his head back over his shoulder to look back at the bedridden lieutenant.

"Could you…stay, Toushiro?" Hinamori asked smilingly with tears of relief streaming down her face. Hitsugaya's heart felt light again and that the crack in his chest had finally sealed.

"For as long as you want me."

Bleach: death of hypnosis

Soft footsteps made their way about the silent Fourth Squad barracks as Captain Unohana made her rounds through her division. Upon entering the quarters of the Fifth Squad lieutenant, she was met with an odd sight.

There, not only did she find the resting lieutenant, but also the sleeping Tenth Squad captain hunched over her bedside, both hand in hand. The pair wore the same unexplainable expression on their faces, as if both found a familiar peace that had once been astray.

Captain Unohana could only smile as she turned to give the captain and the lieutenant their much needed and undisturbed rest. She paused for a moment and left behind an unspoken message before gliding out the door.

_It seems you have finally found the right words.  
_

_Death of hypnosis._


End file.
